Best Buy to expand Apple Mac pilot to 200 stores

Best Buy Co. said Wednesday that it has agreed to expand a pilot program aimed at testing sales of Apple's Mac computer line to approximately 200 of its stores by the fall.

The largest U.S. consumer electronics retailer confirmed the move during a quarterly conference call in which it said fourth-quarter earnings rose 18.5 percent, helped by a combination of strong sales of big screen TVs, install services, and an extra week in the quarter.

Best Buy said net income for the quarter ended March 3rd rose to $763 million, or $1.55 per share, up from $644 million, or $1.29, during the previous year. It added that revenues also increased 21 percent to $12.9 billion, with same-store sales rising 5.9 percent.

The expansion of the Mac pilot to 200 stores will represent a fourfold increase in exposure for Apple at the electronics retailer, which until now had been testing sales of Apple's PC line at only about 50 locations nationwide.

Best Buy initiated the pilot last June at a handful of stores located on the west coast but indicated that it would rapidly expand the program to more of its 900+ shops if the concept proved successful. Over 45 additional locations were later added to the mix in October.

Investment bank Morgan Stanley has said that a full expansion of the pilot to all of Best Buy's stores could generate as much as $400 million in additional Mac sales for Apple each year.

It doesn't matter how many stores you put them in. If they have mac hating moronic staff, scaring everyone away they stull won't sell. All bestbuy's seem to hate mac and tell people the most untrue bullshit about them. Litterally everytime I'm at one and in the computer section I've had to step in to argue with the employees and cut the bullshit out.

Stuff like "yeah the imac's nice but with a built in lcd, it'll burn out in a year and won't be covered by the warranty"
and
"if you wanna add more ram down the road you're gonna have to get the 3 thousand dollar g5(even though it's now mac pro) or you could just get a 700 dollar hp lol."

When I worked at bestbuy in the computer section a year and half ago (it might be 2 year now, not sure), I swear I'd have knife fights with my fellow employees over this shit.

It doesn't matter how many stores you put them in. If they have mac hating moronic staff, scaring everyone away they stull won't sell. All bestbuy's seem to hate mac and tell people the most untrue bullshit about them. Litterally everytime I'm at one and in the computer section I've had to step in to argue with the employees and cut the bullshit out.

Stuff like "yeah the imac's nice but with a built in lcd, it'll burn out in a year and won't be covered by the warranty"
and
"if you wanna add more ram down the road you're gonna have to get the 3 thousand dollar g5(even though it's now mac pro) or you could just get a 700 dollar hp lol."

When I worked at bestbuy in the computer section a year and half ago (it might be 2 year now, not sure), I swear I'd have knife fights with my fellow employees over this shit.

You should write to Apple about this! Also perhaps Apple should put their own trained people in these new centers. Sound like they need to. The Anti mac thing is usually simply pure ignorance or wanting to retain their power trip because they know a little something about Windoze the average Joe doesn't (or they think they do).

It doesn't matter how many stores you put them in. If they have mac hating moronic staff, scaring everyone away they stull won't sell. All bestbuy's seem to hate mac and tell people the most untrue bullshit about them. Litterally everytime I'm at one and in the computer section I've had to step in to argue with the employees and cut the bullshit out.

Stuff like "yeah the imac's nice but with a built in lcd, it'll burn out in a year and won't be covered by the warranty"
and
"if you wanna add more ram down the road you're gonna have to get the 3 thousand dollar g5(even though it's now mac pro) or you could just get a 700 dollar hp lol."

When I worked at bestbuy in the computer section a year and half ago (it might be 2 year now, not sure), I swear I'd have knife fights with my fellow employees over this shit.

I've had similiar horror stories with Best Buys and Circuit City's staff. Most recently, about Apple-branded iPod accessories being placed away from the iPods while the 3rd-party accessories were readily available. Before that, it was unbelievable lies about how the Zune was better than the iPod. Even doing odd comparisons of capacity between the flash based, 8GB Nano for $250 and the 30GB Zune for $250. Do they get coached at being purposely obtuse.